SWAT-based assessment of natural resources in the Kunthipuzha basin

Abstract

The wise and well planned conservation of natural resources such water and land is the most practical solution to address various water-related challenges, including droughts, floods, and water quality issues. In this study, SWAT model was used for modeling a watershed named Kunthipuzha. The model was calibrated and the calibrated model was used for watershed modeling. The basin elevation extent from 0 to 2330 m, out of which 0-50 m elevation band encompasses nearly 18.95% area. Most of the portion i.e., 31.53% were covered by plantains followed by rubber trees (19.98%) and evergreen forests (12.37%) as observed from land use map, while the soil map indicates that the Mannursree series (21.10%) is the most prevalent, followed by Karinganthodu (19.23%) and Mannamkulam (11.01%). SWAT model was successfully applied to the watershed to extract the information related to the natural resource management in Kunthipuzha basin. This information was very crucial and makes the water managers to make water management decisions effectively.